Two former Gophers announce transfer portal commitment to North Dakota State

The Bison are adding a pair of ex-Minnesota players from the transfer portal this spring.

NDSU's Thundar takes the field with the band before the game against SDSU at the Fargodome Friday, Dec. 14, in the FCS playoffs in Fargo. Sdsu Vs Ndsu 011 | Briana Sanchez / Argus Leader

The spring transfer portal window has been closed for more than a week, but there's still a plethora of players looking for new homes. Former Gophers linebacker Alex Elliot and running back Cortez LeGrant Jr. became the latest to land elsewhere, heading across the border to North Dakota State.

Alex Elliot, LB

PORTAL: Former Gophers LB and Hutchinson HS standout Alex Elliot lands at NDSU after entering the portal in the spring window. https://t.co/DKhR5mRX4n

— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) May 3, 2025

Hailing from Hutchinson High School, Elliot is a former three-star recruit in the class of 2023 and he was the seventh ranked in-state player in the class. In his two seasons at Minnesota, he was not able to find the field, but he'll now get an opportuntity to showcase his talent down a level in the FCS, playing for the Bison.

Cortez LeGrant Jr., RB

Excited to announce my commitment to @NDSUfootball let’s work 🤘🏾@CoachTimNDSU @CoachSamOjuri22 pic.twitter.com/jngVArNaDS

— Cortez D. LeGrant Jr. (@d_legrant) May 6, 2025

LeGrant came to Minnesota as a Preferred Walk-On (PWO) with Elliot in the class of 2023. He was an impressive prep running back at Sun Prairie East High School in Wisconsin, where he ran for more than 2,800 yards and added 43 touchdowns in his varsity career. He also did not see the field in his Gophers career, but he'll have three years of eligibility remaining.

Notable uncomitted Gophers players in the transfer portal

• Hayden Schwartz, DE
• Oberhiri Eyafe, CB (PWO)
• David Amaliri, LB
• Chris Flowers, DB (PWO)
• Jaydon Wright, RB
• Kaeden Johnson, RB (PWO)
• Jeremiah Finaly, QB (PWO)
• Tyler Williams, WR